Sunday, April 28, 2013

The Courtship of the Vampyre is a mere 37 pages in the print version, but it packs a huge punch. Not only does it outline the birth of the first vampires, it helps to tell the tale of Cain, the First Born of Adam. There is so much we don't know about him, only the stories passed down through the generations that label him the first murderer. But what if we have the story all wrong? What if his "curse" wasn't a punishment, but a sacred task given to him by The Three—Yeshua the Creator, The Goddess Fate, and their youngest brother Lucius the God of Trials and Tribulations. What if a curse was also laid upon another one of Adam's sons the same day Cain received his blessing?All these questions and many more are answered in the new series by Tammy Dennings Maggy called The Kayne Legacy series. The Courtship of the Vampyre is the companion to this series, helping to outline the entire history of Cain's life from the moment of the accidental death of his brother Abel, to the final battle he must face with his youngest brother Malachi. The First Borne (Kayne Legacy 1) will be out in the fall. Until then, here's the video trailer showcasing one of the poems from the collection that tells a bit of Cain's story. Hopefully this will be enough to hold you over until the first book in the series is released. If not, we invite you to pick up your very own copy of The Courtship of the Vampyre and get lost in the world of the Guardians of the Night.

Monday, April 22, 2013

We got the best news today. Sassy Vixen Publishing is now officially registered as an LLC (Limited Liability Corporation)! We are now a publisher. Yes, it's true that we're small now, but we're committed to work hard every day to make Sassy Vixen bigger and stronger with each and every day that goes by.Lia, Stephanie and I couldn't do this without all our fabulous friends and fellow authors who've joined us for guest features and stopped in and commented on every post. Through their encouragement, we've continued to pursue this dream of owning our own publishing company and hopefully within the next year, we'll add a few more folks to the Sassy Vixen family of authors, cover artists, editors, and reviewers. One day soon we'll have our own online bookstore. The sky's the limit my sassy ones and we're so happy to have you all along for the ride!With Mr. Vixen helping to organize our day to day operations, we should be a well oiled machine in no time. Stay tuned for more updates on our progress and if you have any ideas of what you'd like to see from us, drop us a line. We'd love to hear from you!~The Vixen (Tammy Dennings Maggy)

Welcome to Sassy Vixen Publishing's Oh My Monday. This week I'm excited to welcome our friend and fellow author Natasha Blackthorne. Just last week she stopped in at our sister blog Behind Closed Doors and this week she shares yet another fabulous excerpt showcasing her fiery heroine, Lady Cranfield and her Alpha male hero the Earl of Ruel.

To refresh your memory just a bit, here's the blurb from A Measured Risk.

He is her most dangerous temptation and now he is demanding her submission. Dare she take the risk?

Emotionally scarred in the horrific accident that took her husband’s life, Lady Cranfield is imprisoned by her lingering terror of horses and carriages. She longed to be closer to the fascinating Earl of Ruel. She sensed intuitively that he could teach her how to overcome the terrors that held her in bondage.

And now she’s willing to risk almost anything-her reputation, even her virtue-to find out. But what he proposes startles her.

When the shy, studious and socially awkward young widow approached him, Ruel instantly sensed she would be the sweetest, most submissive experience of a lifetime-if only he can gain her total and complete trust. He makes her a non-negotiable offer. His help in return for her submission and obedience.

But Lady Cranfield grew up neglected by her ducal parents, raised by servants and then later ignored by her handsome, charming husband. She’s learnt to protect her heart at all costs and she trusts no one but herself.

How can the jaded Earl of Ruel break through her self-protective defenses and show her how to love when he has spent his lifetime avoiding that tender trap?

Didn't I tell you Natasha can spin a fabulous tale? For those of you who love historical erotic romances with heroines with REAL curves and more than a little bit of spunk, Natasha's books are for you! A MEASURED RISK features a shy, intellectual, strong-willed widow with real life curves (Rubenesque/BBW) and a protective, possessive Dominant, alpha male hero. This is a story of Dominance and submission with light BDSM, emotional healing, trust and love. What more can you ask for?

How about a steamy excerpt?

Lady Scott had left. Anne still sensed Ruel’s presence. She grasped the first book her hand fell on, pulled it from the shelf, then walked towards the wingchair by the window.

Before she reached her destination, he came to her side, placed his hand on her arm. She jerked her head over her shoulder to face him. His eyes were open and warm, bluer than early evening.

“Your ladybird has flown.” She forced the words past the constriction in her throat.

He loosened his hold, caressing her arm below her small, puffed sleeve, his fingers tracing the bare flesh. Little shocks of fire licked up her arm.

She wouldn’t weaken to him this time. She made her voice hard and cold. “Hadn’t you better go and catch her?”

“Forget her.” His smooth voice lulled her as he cupped her cheek with one hand. His eyes, burning with desire, ignited flames deep inside her. Her limbs went weak. A slow flow of wetness commenced between her legs.

He bent close.

Did he actually intend to kiss her? After that disgusting little scene?

Indignation burned through her. Yet her body thrummed with awareness of him—his scent, his strength. Her body wanted to let him take whatever he willed. Her throat went dry and her legs shook from pure fear. Not fear of him but fear of herself and what she would allow—what she would do—if something didn’t happen to break this spell.

Her heart hammered against her chest wall. God, she must do something. Anything—

She drew back her hand and arced it forward and up with all her might. She made sharp, stinging, shocking contact with his cheek. It was with enough force that his head reeled a bit. Not much, though.

The crack echoed around the chamber.

She cried out in disbelief and dismay at her thoughtless action and took several steps back. Her hand stung as if pierced by a hundred nettles and she pressed it to her skirt, seeking the coolness of the dark plum silk.

She felt very lost and confused with herself. She just didn’t go around acting on impulse and emotion. She’d never struck anyone in her whole life.

This was what he did to her. He turned her into a stranger to herself—a passionate, violent stranger. He filled her with madness. But what price would she pay for such madness?

(fans self) Is it hot in here or what? Oh to be a fly on the wall when she finds out exactly what he's going to do now. Whew! I've got one more surprise for you. A MEASURED RISK is on sale at the moment of this posting for 38p on Amazon UK, .99 on Amazon USA and All Romance E-Books and for a $1.00 at Total-e-Bound Publishing.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Welcome to Oh My! Mondays here at Sassy Vixen Publishing! Once again, we're happy to have vampire erotic romance author Alexandra Anthony here to share her new release. She's visited us before with her Vampire Destiny series, but this time it's not another book in that fabulous collection. Nope. It's a brand new series!Tempted is the first book in her Dark Hart Chronicles and promises to be just as hot if not hotter than the books in her first series. Don't believe me? How about we take a look at the blurb and see what you have to say after that?When personal assistant Savannah Wood lands a dream job with up and coming rock star Nick Hart, it seems to good to be true. He's devastatingly handsome, reserved and charming...but he has a secret he's determined to keep.Their attraction to one another is immediate, but Savannah is determined to keep a professional relationship between them. She's been burned before and has no desire to reopen old wounds.The lines between professional and personal begin to blur when Savannah finds out Nick's secret: he's a century old vampire with a painful past. He's as hesitant to open himself up to her, but they find their temptation to one another is stronger than either can resist. The paparazzi, cryptic letters and a string of murders threaten their budding relationship. But will their attraction and love be enough to keep them together or will it tear them apart?So? Doesn't that cover and blurb grab you right from the start? Hmmm...I see you're one tough cookie and need a bit more convincing. Here's the Adult Excerpt Alexandra sent over to share with everyone. After you read that, there is no way you'll tell The Vixen that Alexandra doesn't have you hooked.

Rain dripped from his raven black hair to run in rivulets down the sharp planes of his handsome face. His dark eyes were luminous, glowing with passion as he stood before me, both hands bracing the door frame.

“Nick…” I whispered. I took a shaky step backwards as he strode across the threshold forcefully and took my face in his hands. Our eyes met for the briefest of moments before he lowered his head to capture my lips in a toe-curling kiss, his tongue searching the contours of my mouth. Much too soon he pulled away, his teeth tugging at my lower lip. His fingers stroked down the length of my neck, cold and wet against my skin. My body trembled in response and when I raised my hands to embrace him, he stopped me and held them in his firm grip.

“I told myself I wouldn’t do this, Savannah. I know I promised to give you your space and that I’d be patient. You can see how well that worked. So here I am, standing here in front of you. I wanted it to be different…I wanted to do this right.” He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He dragged me closer until I was pressed against the solid wall of his chest, soaking my t-shirt with rainwater. “But I can’t do this anymore. I can’t lie to myself and pretend I’m all right with just being friends. I fucking want you.”

His words ignited a fire deep within me, stroking the slow simmer that had been building all week. When he continued, his voice was husky. “I don’t want to talk and I don’t want to think if it’s right or wrong. I’ll deal with the fallout tomorrow, but now…now I want you more than I can put into words.”

His hands released mine and he cradled my face in his hands. His soft mouth whispered over my lips and the curve of my jaw. Powerless to think clearly, I simply lost myself in him and the emotion he’d unleashed inside of me. He made me feel cherished and desired, as if I was the only woman alive. Keeping myself emotionally unavailable had its drawbacks and I was almost desperate to feel connected to him. Unable to hold back when his lips tentatively covered mine again, I responded shamelessly. I slowly traced the outline of his lips with the tip of my tongue. His body reacted immediately to my unexpected reaction, the front of his rain sodden pants bulging.

"You're soaked," I brushed his wet hair back from his forehead. My eyes followed every line on his face, over his cheekbones and his full lips. As I studied him, I wondered fleetingly if once we made love, the attraction would be gone. Maybe I could fuck him out of my mind.

If only it was that easy, Savannah.

The corner of his mouth twitched. His head tipped back under my touch and the weight of my stare, baring his long neck to me. “Then you should undress me, love.”

Drawing in an unsteady breath, my hands didn’t waver as I swiftly unzipped his pants and flicked open the button of his dress pants. They fell heavily around his feet in a wet heap as my fingers pushed at his suit jacket, easing it over his broad shoulders. All that separated us was his dress shirt and my faded t-shirt.

When he swept me into his arms and carried me up the stairs to my bedroom, I didn’t offer any challenge. He swaggered across the room, laying me across the bed in one fluid motion. My hooded eyes devoured him as stood before me, roughly tugging off his tie and dropping it carelessly on the bed beside of me. His agile fingers slid over his dress shirt, each button slowly falling open to reveal a sliver more of his pale chest until it draped open at each side, his rippled abdomen shadowed in the darkness of the room.

“Savannah. Come here, love.”

My heart was racing as I crawled to the edge of the bed. Reaching out to him, my hands twisted into each side of his shirt and I tugged him against me. Our bodies collided and our mouths met impatiently, the fiery caress of his lips searing through me until I was afraid nothing would be left of me but ash.

His hands tangled in my hair our kiss deepened. He was unrelenting but in control, sexual but sensual. His taste on my tongue was mindless and drugging, leaving me breathless and longing for more.

Nick eased me back onto the bed, hovering lithely above me. As his fingers began a provocative path down my neck and over the curve of my breast, my hands slipped under his shirt and dragged down the flexing planes of his back, cupping his tight ass and dragging his hips to mine. Every inch of our bodies molded tightly together and the air around us seemed to shimmer, growing taut with anticipation. It seemed we were both longing to explore what we’d denied ourselves of for so long.

My bedroom was suddenly filled with the erotic sounds of deep wet, open-mouthed kisses and wanton moans. Our tongues teased and tangled together until I was in desperate need of air. Nick slowly kissed back up my jaw to my ear as he grasped the nape of my neck.

"I'm not going to lie. I’ve wanted this since the first moment I saw you," Nick rasped against my ear. His tongue licked over the shell, causing a shiver to run down my spine. "I couldn't take my eyes off of you."

His voice and sensual words caused my head to arch back into the bed. "I wanted it too. More than anything," I whispered softly. My fingers combed through his damp hair, his delicious spicy scent overpowering me.

Swallowing back a strangled groan, he pulled away and shrugged out of his shirt. My trembling fingers stroked over his sculpted chest and down the flexing muscle of his arm, absently tracing over the large tattoo on his upper bicep. I finally let them drift over each raised ridge of his stomach, my hands continuing their unhurried exploration. He was flawlessly beautiful. His pale body was long, hard and powerful. He was more perfect than I ever could have imagined.

GOTCHA!!! You can't lie to The Vixen. I know this small taste has you begging for more. Here's where you can find Tempted (The Dark Heart Chronicles Book 1).

Alexandra Anthony loves all things vampire and enjoys writing romantic/erotic stories about the paranormal. She likes a good ghost story and loves the idea that there's a supernatural Prince Charming lurking out there.

Alexandra lives in the Midwest with her husband and daughter. She is the author of The Vampire Destiny Series and The Dark Hart Chronicles.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Welcome to Sassy Vixen Publishing and to the release day for another of my friends and fellow erotic romance authors, Tara S. Wood. If you've been with us from the beginning, you'll remember that Tara has visited with us before. This time she takes on the task of telling the stories of The Fallen...angels who fell from Grace and have to earn their way back. Along the way they may just happen to fall in love...just sayin'! Tara stopped in to The House of Taboo and was surprised by my alter ego Lia Michaels. It seems that Lia found three of Tara's favorite men to join her in celebrating the release of Lucius. In fact, all of them were still celebrating to the wee hours Easter morning. ;) I'll give you the link to that interview at the end of this post. You don't want to miss all the fun they had!To celebrate with Tara and her publisher Moon Rose Publishing, she's sent over the book blurb another excerpt for me to share with everyone today. This one gives you a glimpse into how the group of Angels came to be known as The Fallen...

Blurb

“Relish this moment in My favor. It is your last.”

Six angels once sat at the right hand of The Almighty, but an ill-fated decision cast them out of Heaven. Now they serve Him on Earth, slaying demons for their redemption. They are…The Fallen.

Lucius, once revered at the side of God, fell to Earth with his brothers to pay penance and atone for his lapse in leadership. Wingless and forsaken, they have all paid a price for their complicity. Lucius’ hubris is now a curse, and he cannot rest until they carry out the last of The Almighty’s orders...and stop a war that has been millennia in the making.

Persephone Roberts is always in the right place at the right time, the serendipity allowing her to help people on her travels. When it leads her to cross paths with the band of hard-living fallen angels, she sets her sights on their leader, and is determined to restore Lucius’ faith in their quest. And in himself.

But the ancient evil the angels strive to fight has put Persephone in its crosshairs. It will be up to Lucius and his brothers to save her and destroy the minions of the dark. Can the amber-eyed beauty with her accepting heart heal wounds that cut soul deep, and force him to reclaim a glory he once tossed aside? Is he strong enough to realize the path back to Heaven begins with her, or will he be forever...fallen?

Excerpt

The voice of the Almighty was calm, even as it sliced through his skull like a hot blade.“This was not what I commanded you to do.”Lucius looked up to the heavens, broken and bleeding, pain wracking through him with each labored breath. His wings ruffled in the breeze, their magnificence marred by chunks of missing flesh, sticky clumps of crimson feathers, and blood. He swallowed hard, tasting fear.“They deserved it.” The sentence burned on his tongue.The heavens quaked at his hubris, storm clouds streaking across the sky, chasing the ominous and angry slashes of lightning and rolls of thunder.The voice was serene. “Do not presume to know My mind.”“I...we-”“Silence!” A flash of hot lightning struck the earth and sizzled close to him.Lucius heard a scramble of movement to his right, and managed a quick look. Four other angels were scattered nearby; his brothers-in-arms. All of them in the same fractured condition. They crawled forward and huddled together, helping each other to their feet, their strength tempered with exhaustion. The angels were once elite among their kind. Domniel, Mordecai, Elijah, Jude and himself. Now they stood supplicant, battered and bruised, facing the wrath of the Almighty together.“You were exalted. You were brave, and courageous, and steadfast in My name. And you have fallen, easily corrupted by the seductive whispers of the wicked and his malevolence. If you will not serve Me in heaven, you will serve Me on earth, or you will burn.” The voice thundered above them, rattling their bones to the core. Lucius gritted his teeth and closed his eyes.Domniel, the most headstrong among them, dared to step forward. He raised a jagged, bloody blade to the sky. “We served You well! You allowed for the misery and despair to choke them! They suffered, and we delivered them unto You! All of them,” he shouted, “the oppressors and the oppressed!”An angry roar rolled through as the sky darkened to black, and the black-winged angel pitched forward, forced to his knees by an unseen hand. He grunted loudly in pain, blood pooling from his knees as he struggled to stand.“Your arrogance has given him power and opportunity to unleash his minions on this earth; My earth. If you thought My children were suffering, you will now live to see that suffering a thousand-fold. Go, and slay his demons. That is your charge. You are condemned to walk among them and reap your redemption. You wanted to play savior, now you shall.” The earth trembled in agony beneath them as blood-red clouds pushed aside the dark sky. “Relish this moment in My favor. It is your last.”A deep and abiding sense of loss washed over Lucius. The Almighty was gone. He looked at the anguished faces of his brethren and found his regret mirrored there.Domniel was the first to scream with a soul-shattering, “NO!”And then they fell.I can't wait to get my copy of this! I'm heading over to Amazon to get mine. Why don't you join me? What? Still not convinced this is the book for you? Head on over to Lia Michaels' blog The House of Taboo and check out another excerpt that will absolutely curl your toes!